PUEBLO, Colo.—The Adams State University Grizzlies took on CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves inside Massari Arena where the ThunderWolves set high standards by taking the lead early on in the game. The Grizzlies remained consistent throughout the game and put themselves back on the winning side of the ledger with a score of 78-64.
Kaelin Crane got the Grizzlies going in the first half as he made the first shot of the game before Sterling Benhamin hit a bucket and
Hayden Meakes built of off Sterling's momentum and followed through with another jump shot.
The Grizzlies needed to manage their control of the ball as they began to lose momentum and resulted in the Thunderwolves taking over the lead. The Grizzlies became more responsive as the game progressed, which helped them gain back their rhythm. The Grizzlies went on eight-in-a-row shooting streak. Meakes was on the fast break and put the Grizzlies in a good position as they end the first half leading 37-34.
Building off the first half, the Grizzlies continued to maintain their lead, but the game still remained close as the ThunderWolves made efforts to close the lead. The ThunderWolves manage to make it a close game as they switched the game over and took the lead. Crane began to put the pressure on the Thunderwolves as he played an aggressive defense.
The Thunderwolves seemed to begin to struggle with following through with their plays, which played towards an advantage for the Grizzlies. With a defensive rebound from Crane,
Rylan O'Brien made his way to the basket putting the Grizzlies in the position to build a lead.
The Grizzlies were quick and responsive to each move the Thunderwolves would make as they tried to make their move to cut the lead in half. The Grizzlies utilized each chance they got to make smart passes, which O'Brien fed off of as he continued to build the lead for the Grizzlies. The Thunderwolves did their best to stay in the game, but the Grizzlies continued to dominate ending the game 78-64.
O'Brien was the lead scorer for ASU with 20-points followed by Meakes, Crane, and Fredrickson scoring in the double digits as well. With his 20 points, O'Brien now has 147 points, one more than he did the entire 2020-21 season.
The Grizzlies will be traveling to Rapid City, South Dakota to take on South Dakota Mines in a match on Dec.11 with the game scheduled to begin at 4:00 P.M. at the King Center.
